Ceiling-connecter device



Oct' 25 71927 R. ENMNNN 9 CEILING CONNECTER DEVICE Filed Jan. 19. 1922 .tacle which will receive t Patented Oct. 25, 1927.

PATENT OFFICE.

MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A

CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

CEILING-CONNECTER DEVICE.

Application led January 19, 1922. Serial No. 530,257.

My invention relates to electrical oonnecter devices, and more particularly to ceilin connecter devices.

n ceiling outlets applicant considers it sometimes not advisable to provide a recephe standard cap of a se arable attachment plug. OneV reason for t is is that if a rece tacle were provided that would receive the lades of an attachment plug cap, a person inexperience ture hanging mi ht construct or make a evice in the way of a ceiling fixture, depending solely on the engagement of the blades of the ca p with the ceiling receptacle contacts to hold the device in position. Suc-h engagement would, ot course, be insullicient an would probably result in the cap blades sli ping out of the receptacle, letting the lig ting device tall, probably breaking the fixture or whatever it might fall on.

On the other hand, it is sometimes desirable to be able to plug in adjacent the ceiling outlet with a standard plug-in device.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an electrical connecter device for a ceiling outlet comprising a receptacle which will not receive the blades of a separable attachment plug cap, but which will nevertheless enable the outlet to be adapted to receive,7 a standard plug.

A further object et my invention is to rovide an improved construction of cei in connecter device which will be durable an efficient in use simple in construction and cheap to manuiacture.

Further objects will appear from the de tailed description to follow and from the appended claims.

In the drawings in which an embodiment of my invention is shown- Figure 1 isa top plan view of an electrical connecter device;

Fig. 2 is a section on Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view hook member;

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view of the ceilin receptacle;

ig. 5 is a top the line 2--2 of of the swiveled plan view of a dilerent form oi connecter device which can be use with the receptacle shown in Fig. 6 is a Fig. 5,

and

section on the line Referring first to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the construction shown therein comprises the ceiling receptacle 10, shown in Fig. 4, provided with contact blade-receiving openings 11, and hook-receiving openings 12, and an electrical connecter device 13, provided with contact blades 14 for entering the contactreceiving openings 11, and having a swivel member 15 (Fig. 3) provided with a plurality of hook members 16 for entry into the hook-receiving openings ,12.

The swivel member 15 may sheet metal cup,

be a sort of swiveled on the insulating base 17 on which the contact blades 14 are mounted. The swivel member 15 has a limited swivel motion on the insulating base 17 so that the hook members 15 may be turned to be brought into holding engagement with peet to the receptacle after the contact blades 14 and hook members 16 have entered their respective openings provided therefor in the receptacle.

In order to hold the hook members 16 in holding engagement after they have entered the hook-receiving openings 12, I provide a coil compression spring 18, this coil compression spring being located in a circumferentially extending arcuate recess 19 in the insulating base 17. One end of this coil compression spring 18 bears against the end wall of the recess 19, and the other end bears against an inwardly extending lug 20 Jformed integral with the swivel member 15. The

spring 19 thus tends to force the swivel cup 15 in one direction, and the insulating base 16 in the other direction, and this action oi' the spring is such. that it will hold the hook members 15 connected after they have been inserted into the hook-receiving openings 1Q.

In connecting the device in position with respect to the receptacle, the blades 14 are first placed in position to enter the bladereceiving openings 11, the connecter is pushed inwardly until the hooks engage or are about to engage the plate 21 in which the hook-receiving openings 1Q are located, the swivel cup 15 is then rotated against the vaction of the compression spring 19 until the points of the hooks are free to be pushed into the hook-receiving openings 12, and the device is then pushed inward y until the points of the hooks pass the plate 9.1, when the cupshaped swivel member 15 may be released to permit the spring 19 to turn the swivel member about the insulating base 16 to brlng member l5 in position on the insulating base,

it is provided with a number of inwardly extending lugs 22 and 23, which overhang the insulating base.

One of these lugs 23 is of considerable exent and overlies the recess 19 in which the spring 18 is located, thereby serving to hold the spring 18 in place in the recess.

The construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is quite similar to that just described in connection with Figs. 1, 2 and 3, except that here a receptacle of the Edison type isv mounted on the underside of the insulating base 24, the contacts 25 and 26 ofthe Edison receptacle being electrically connected re spectlvely with the contact blades 14 by means of the screws 27 and 28. These screws 27 and 28 not only serve to electrically connect the contacts, but also to hold them in place on the insulating base; otherwise, the construction is substantially the same as in the form previously described.

In this brin, the device is connected by placing the blades 14 in position to enter the openings 11, pushing upwardly on the device -until t-he hook members 16 engage or are about to engage the plate 2l, then turning` the swivel ring 15 until the hooks 16- are in position to enter the openings 12, then pushmgup on the device until the points of the hooks 16 are in back of the plate 2l, and then allowing the spring 19 to turn the swivel men'iher 15 to bring the members 16 into engaging position with respect to the plate 2l.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters latent ot' the UnitedStates is- 1. A connecter comprising contact blades for entering blade-receiving openings and a hook member having hooksf'or entering hook-receiving openings, said hook member being mounted to swivel about said blades,

. whereby said hooks may be turned into hold- I swiveled member ingv engagen'ient after the blades and hooks have entered theirrespective openings, and spring means acting between said blades and tending to effect relative swiveling motion between said blades and hook member for holding said hooks in connected position.

2. A connecter comprising a circular insulating base, contact blades mounted on said base for entering bladereceiving opens ings, a member swiveled on said insulatingk base and provided with hooks for entering hook-receiving openings, whereby said member may be turned to bring said hooks into`v` holding engagement after the bladesand hooks have enteredV their respectiveopenings,

base for entering blade-receiving openings, a

member swiveled on said insulating base and provided with hooks for entering said hookreceiving openings, whereby said member may be turned to bring said hooks into holding engagement after the blades and hooks have entered their respective openings, and spring means tending to effect relative swiveling motion between said insulating base and swivel member for holding lsaid hooks in connected position, said spring means` comprising a spring extending sul stantially circumferentially of said base, and bearing at one end on said base and at the other end on said swivel member.

4. A connecter comprising a circular in- Sula-ting base, contact blades, mounted on said base for entering blade-receiving openingsa' member swiveled on said insulating base and provided with hooks for entering miek-receiving openings, ywhereby said member may be turned to bring said hooks into holding engagement after the blades and hooks have entered their respective openings, and spring means tending to effect relative swiveling motion between said 'insulating base and swivel member for holding said hooks in connected position, said insulating base having a circumferentially eX- tending recess therein to receive said spring.

5. A connecter comprising a circular insulating base, contact blades mounted on saidV base for entering blade-receiving openings, a member swiveled on said insulating base and provided with hooks for entering hook receiving openings, whereby said member may be turned to bring said hooks into holding engagement after the blades and hooks have en-tered their respective open` ings and spring means tending to effect relative swiveling motion between said insulating base and swivel member for hiding sai-d hooks in connected position, said insulating base having a circumferentially extending recess therein to receive said spring, and said portion overlying spring in place.

6. A connecter comprising a circular insulating base, contact blades mounted on said base for entering blade-receiving openings, a member swiveled on said insulating base and provided with hooks for entering hookreceiving openings, whereby said membel` may be turned to bring said hooks into holding engagementv after the blades and hooks have enteredf'their respective o enings, and spring means tending to a -eet--relative said recess to Ihold said swivel member having a l 1,e4o,sos 8 swivelin motion between said insulatin against one end of which said spring bears, base an swivel member for ho1d1njr sai the other end of said spring bearing against hooks in connected position, said insllatmg base having a circ-umferentially extending 5 recess therein to receive said spring, said swivel member having a lug extending into said circumferentially extending recess the end of: the recess.

I n witness whereof, scribed my name.

REUBEN B. BENJAMIN.

I have hereunto sub- 

